Seven Reasons We're Together
by Ulquiorra9000
Summary: GrimxHali. Stuck in the human world for a week with nothing to do, Grimmjow and Halibel explore their relationship and realize the seven reasons they're together.
1. Chapter 1 Sunday

**Seven Reasons We're Together**

Part 1: Carnival!

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.

One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.

**

Day: Sunday

"Man, this is a bummer," Grimmjow complained as he slid his powerful hands into his jean's pockets, the blue denim feeling much different than the soft white-and-black Arrancar uniform he was used to. The red polo he wore felt rather awkward, too, and it was the only one at the clothing store he could find that fit him, and he thought it looked ridiculous with his sky-blue hair. Ugh, he looked so ridiculous!

"Don't be like that, Grimmjow," Halibel reprimanded him lightly, waving a finger as though he were a child. The two of them were wandering around the outskirts of Karakura town, looking for something to do. The house they rented didn't have much to offer for entertainment, and it would have been a waste of money to put stuff in it if they were only going to be there for a week. "Why not be more positive? There are much worse things that could happen."

"Well, I guess..." Grimmjow shrugged, trying not to think of how the others would laugh at him for being stuck here, as he had insisted on bringing Halibel with him to do some scouting but forgot that the Gargantas were about to break down. Now he had dragged Halibel into this? Great. "But seriously, how could I forget? Aizen told us the Gargantas would break down temporarily, but it totally slipped my mind. What, are they down for maintenance? I haven't seen any Arrancars with overalls and tool boxes roaming around yet..."

Halibel held back a giggle. Today, she wore casual human clothes she had found in the clothing store that she and Grimmjow had visited, since going in their uniforms would make them stand out, and the Garganta breakdown had stripped them of some of their spirit power: they could be seen and heard by humans, such a pain. "Now you're just being silly," Halibel said presently. Her Hollow mask remains had been vaporized by the power loss, as had been Grimmjow's, revealing her soft lips that were prone to smiling, and her gentle chin.

"Silly? I'm never silly. I'm totally serious, all the time," Grimmjow insisted, lifting his chin and looking away as though he were high and mighty. "This is no fun at all, no good Soul Reapers to kill! I bet Ichigo Kurosaki's off training or something like that, along with his friends. I guess it's just you and me, Hallie."

He referred to her by the nickname Nel Tu had thought up, and only used it when no one else was around; no way would he be caught calling her that!

Halibel smiled and gave him a sideways look, the warm sunlight streaming on their faces. "Yes, it's just us, but that doesn't make today boring," she said kindly, tugging on Grimmjow's sleeve. "What's with the attitude? Are you upset?"

"Course not," Grimmjow said defensively, trying to avoid eye contact; he knew that they both had nurtured an on-off relationship for a few weeks now, but he wasn't sure what quite kept them together, or where they would end up. They ended up stuck in the crummy human world, he could say that much! "Look, it's just because... um..."

"Yes?" Halibel prompted, hearing a distant commotion growing louder. What was that?

"It's, um... I can't stand this shirt. It looks funny on me," Grimmjow invented wildly. "Imagine what the others would think. We never wear human clothes! Humans have no taste."

"Oh, I'm sure," Halibel teased him, and Grimmjow only looked even more distraught, but she knew that he took it well. Grimmjow was something else, all right.

"Look, I dunno why we're out here walking by ourselves," Grimmjow changed the subject, stretching his arms over his head and yawning widely, rather like a panther. "I just want to head back and – huh?"

Both he and Halibel stopped in place when they saw the Karakura town summer festival in progress, the mini-town of tents and activity booths sprawling far and wide, and with hundreds of people talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves here. Grimmjow could only stare.

"What the heck –? What's all this?" he sputtered, eyes wide. An idea popped into Halibel's head and she took her friend by the arm, dragging him to the entrance. "Come on!" she urged him. "You were looking for something to do, weren't you? Why not spend the day here?"

"At a human carnival?!" Grimmjow retorted, waving a hand rapidly in dismissal as they neared the entrance he dreaded. "This isn't what I meant!"

Halibel could tell when Grimmjow meant otherwise, however, and she wouldn't let this good opportunity go to waste. "Come on, it'll be fun!" she cajoled him, dragging a squirming Grimmjow to the ticket booth at the front, which was manned by none other than Don Kanonji! "Please? Just for today?"

"Well... as long as this isn't too weird..." Grimmjow muttered, trying to regain his cool-guy countenance.

"Bwahahahahaha!" the ticket master boomed his laughter, crossing his arms in an X across his chest with claw-like fingers. His dark sunglasses caught the mid-day sunlight. "Welcome, welcome! Do you want to get yourselves a couple of tickets to Don Kanonji's carnival? Of course you do! Bwahahaha!"

"Time to go!" Grimmjow insisted, wrenching free of Halibel and starting off, trying not to explode. Why did he have to stuck here?!

Halibel caught up to her Espada friend, taking his shoulder and making him stop. "Won't you please go to the carnival with me?" she asked again. "Look, that guy was weird, but the rest of the people there are bound to be normal."

Her eyes said "please, of please?" so Grimmjow finally felt committed. "Okay, let's go," he grumbled, as he allowed Halibel to lead him back there and get the two tickets, and they were soon in the carnival with everyone else, all the chatter and bustle.

"Okay, what's with all the crowds and the noise?" Grimmjow grumbled in annoyance, scratching his head in wonder with a sullen expression. "I wanted to go somewhere _quiet _with you, Hallie... wait!"

Halibel had since moved away, hailing a gaggle of other people who rushed to greet them. With a jump in his stomach, Grimmjow recognized some of the others.

"Grimmjow!" orange-haired Orihime Inoue cheered, jumping up and hugging Grimmjow around his neck. "You're here, too?"

"Hey, let him breathe," Grimmjow's arch-enemy, Ichigo, admonished her but grinned all the same. "Glad you guys could come too. Renji's ruining things by hogging all the attention. Could you steal some of his thunder from him for a minute?" He jabbed his thumb in Renji Abarai's direction, and the lieutenant whirled.

"I'm not the one who beat up all the kids at the sword-fighting ring just to show off, you know!" he snapped back, roaring in Ichigo's face.

"That last one was an accident. I was trying to teach the kids some new moves," Ichigo defended himself coolly, folding his arms and turning away, but Renji's words did strike him after all. "You were the one showing off!"

"Yeah right you were," Renji retorted. "And I did _not _show off! What's wrong with using Shikai here?"

"Um, a lot?"

"Why don't we bring our new guests along for the ride?" Uryu recommended, pushing his squarish glasses up. "There's more than enough to do for all of us."

"Yeah, let's go!" Orihime cheered, and she led them off, Halibel making sure that Grimmjow followed along.

"But I..." he started to say, before Halibel silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Why not spar with Ichigo in the ring?" she offered. "Blow of some steam and fight your arch-rival while you're at it?"

Grimmjow couldn't help grinning. "Sounds like a plan!"

As soon as Grimmjow and Ichigo entered the sparring ring, a big crowd assembled to watch.

"Ichigo's gonna fight Grimmjow!"

"Who, the Arrancar?"

"I bet Ichigo will win!"

"Not today," Grimmjow growled to himself, but even so he could feel adrenaline going through him right before the fight, and it felt good. The first blow was the strongest, with Ichigo's wooden blade there to meet Grimmjow's. The two broke apart, quickly taking up defensive positions, looking for weaknesses in the other's stance.

"Not bad… Grimmjow," Ichigo complimented, before taking a large step forward and swinging at waist level to the right. Grimmjow's blade was there to meet it, the impact rattling his arm. The Soul Reaper boy had grown stronger since their last fight! It would not be enough to beat Grimmjow, though, and he could feel Halibel's eyes on him, cheering him on. Grimmjow lunged forth and swung rapidly this way and that, giving Ichigo a run for his money and raising cheers from the crowd. At last, Ichigo was beaten, and Grimmjow let go of the wooden sword.

"Argh… how'd you get so strong?" Ichigo muttered as he fell to his knees from exhaustion, until he accepted Grimmjow's helping hand and got back up.

"So, you had to lose again, huh?" Renji taunted Ichigo as they all regrouped. Ichigo scowled, then pointed out something else. "Look! Why don't we try target shooting?"

"I hear that," Uryu grinned, leading everyone there. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, but then remembered Halibel next to him; he felt a little better, and after all he won that spar against Ichigo. Maybe he could get something out of this after all?

Currently, Ichigo was trying to shoot down the scrolling targets but was missing, the BBs pinging off the back wall instead.

"Haha, why don't I try?" Renji grinned and took over, until he proved himself to have even worse aim; he erratically fired the BB gun so widely that the projectile missed the target galley entirely and struck Hitsugaya on the head, who had been passing by.

"Watch it!" the young captain snapped, until Rangiku comforted him with cotton candy and he quieted down.

"I can do better," Chad insisted, until his aim proved as bad as Renji's. Frustrated, he took out a slingshot and put his Mexican medallion on it, launching the gold piece and making it hit the target worth the most points.

"Chad, that's cheating! That's not fair," Ichigo complained as everyone else laughed. In spite of himself, Grimmjow couldn't help but find it funny, and hearing Halibel's own light laugh made it seem that much better. Then, Uryu took over.

"Please watch carefully," he instructed the others, before whipping out his Quincy bow and firing 1,200 arrows at once, taking down every target with ease! Uryu then pushed up his glasses as he acknowledged his near-perfect score. "How was that?"

"That was even less fair!" Renji objected, whacking Uryu on the head with his fist, making the Quincy wince. "I needed target practice!" was his excuse.

"Like you need it!" Renji rolled his eyes.

"They have so much fun, don't they?" Halibel asked Grimmjow, watching the scene.

"They're just a bunch of goof-offs," Grimmjow said, but he had to admit that she had a point, and he could feel himself relaxing.

The group continued their antics for some time, from goldfish collecting (very challenging) to watching talent shows (very impressive), to watching the closing fireworks whistling into the sky and exploding into colorful blossoms. At last, the group split up as everybody went home, and Grimmjow joined Halibel as they departed, going down the darkening street by themselves. By now, the street lamps were on and various light-loving insects swarmed around them. Crickets chirped.

"Well. It's been a pretty good day, hasn't it?" Halibel asked happily as they neared the house they were renting. Now she stretched her arms over her head, yawning.

"We killed some time, yeah," Grimmjow said simply, looking away and hoping that he wasn't being too obvious. He got the feeling that his I-don't-care routine was getting very transparent, and Halibel knew him too well by now to be deceived.

"You had a good time, Grimmjow, I could tell," Halibel pressed him gently, squeezing Grimmjow's arm as she leaned on him, her head on his shoulder. "Why don't you admit it, hmmmm?"

"But I…" Grimmjow started, before he reflected on the day's events with Halibel and the others. He really had enjoyed himself today, but he valued being around Halibel most of all during that time. Grimmjow cleared his throat, grateful for the darkness that hid his blushing. "Yeah, I had a good time. Who knew that humans could have so much fun?"

"Oh, so you _did _have a good time," Halibel said, looking up at him. "See, that wasn't so hard to say, was it?"

"All these questions," Grimmjow muttered, but he grinned in spite of himself.

"I think we both learned something today," Halibel said after a few seconds.

"Did we?" Grimmjow repeated, racking his brains. The target shooting, cotton candy, Ferris Wheel, fireworks… "Did I learn how fireworks operate? I asked that one guy how they worked and he explained it…"

Grimmjow was skirting the edge of Halibel's meaning again, and it amused her. "No, Grimmjow," she shook her head. "Something else. Can you think of it?"

Grimmjow could see their rented house from here, and it struck him that he and Halibel were not only together because they were stranded in the human world, but other things kept them together as well. _Why are we together? _He wondered. True, being around Halibel gave him a warm and comforted feeling and he knew he wanted to be with her, but the reason… the reason… "The reason we were together today… is because we can have fun together, like friends would," he said at last, hoping he was right. "Today was great fun, and it was because I was with you. That's what I learned today."

Halibel stopped Grimmjow long enough to embrace him in a tight hug that he returned, wrapping his arms around her waist and feeling the warmth of her body. "Exactly," Halibel said into his shoulder. "Thank you for being with me today, Grimmjow, it meant a lot to me."

"Ahhh, nothin' to it," Grimmjow laughed it off, but knew that she was right. _Man, and here I thought this was a total loss being stuck here. Guess there's something to gain out of any situation, huh? _Grimmjow parted from her, and started off again, now taking Halibel's hand gently in his and leading her along. "Let's go home."


	2. Chapter 2 Monday

**Seven Reasons We're Together**

Part 2: Kitten

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.

One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.

**

Day: Monday

The week sure had passed fast, Grimmjow thought as he tromped through Hueco Mundo's unforgiving white sands under the white moon. Excellent! The human world was a bore, anyway, and this was where he belonged. He could feel his massive spirit energy reserves coursing through him as he sought his target and found him: the black-robed, orange-haired Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki was in sight. The foolish boy wanted to invade the home land of the Arrancars? So be it. Grinning fiercely, Grimmjow stepped right in Ichigo's way and drew Pantera, his Zanpakuto. The metal blade rasped dryly as it slid out from the sheath and Grimmjow held it in the ready position.

"So, it's you... Grimmjow," Ichigo said in deadly seriousness, stopping and removing Zangetsu from his back, removing the bandages that normally sealed it. "Then I won't go easy! Ban... kai!"

The familiar black spiritual energy of Ichigo's swelled in size, the boy's robes changing and Zangetsu becoming long and thin, with a manji for its hilt. Grimmjow pounced and the two exchanged deadly blows with lightning speed, kicking up sand and inflicting scratches on each other as they traded blows, trying to force their way past the other's defenses.

Skidding back, Grimmjow re-assessed the situation and Ichigo's attack pattern. He was breathing hard, but this tough fight was exactly what he wanted, he thought as he watched Ichigo take a similar breather. Not wanting to give the boy too much chance to recuperate, Grimmjow launched his renewed assault, releasing his Zanpakuto as he went.

"Grind, Pantera!" Grimmjow roared as he zoomed through the air, and Ichigo's eyes widened in shock as the Sexta Espada transformed into the sleek white panther, his hands becoming clawed paws and his canines grew into fangs. He pressed this advantage as hard as he could, driving Ichigo back and nearing his victory. This was it...!

Then, Hueco Mundo seemed to be fading away, Ichigo growing bigger and bigger. Grimmjow made a cat-like grunt of surprise, his feline eyes widening in wonder and rage as his world was transformed. Then, he suddenly felt very fuzzy, and giant things around him were making a lot of noise.

"What the...?" Grimmjow said, or tried to say. Looking at his paws, Grimmjow was even more shocked when he found gentle, rounded white paws instead of his black, fierce ones. His voice came out as a gentle meow, meek and high-pitched. He also felt very small and warm, and found several kittens around him, seeming huge. He was also in a barred cage in some kind of shop... wait! He was a kitten! In a pet shop!

"Ooooooh, look at this one! It's so cute!" the familiar orange-haired girl, Orihime, glowed as her gigantic form approached him, casting a shadow as she looked down on him. She opened the cage door and picked him up, her giant hands grasping his entire soft body.

"Let me go, girl! I'm in the middle of a fight!" Grimmjow roared, but only a kitten-ish meow came from his mouth, and his growl of frustration was only an adorable purr.

"Oh, I love this one!" Orihime cheered, nuzzling the kitten Grimmjow against her cheek, horrifying him greatly. Then, an equally enormous Rukia approached, wearing human clothes.

"What did you find, Orihime – what a wonderful kitten!" the girl said, taking Grimmjow and flipping him over, rubbing his soft tummy with her finger. "What's his name?"

"It says 'Grimmjow Jeagerjaques'!" Orihime said excitedly, pointing at the name card on the cage Grimmjow had come out of.

"Hello, Grimmjow!" Rukia said upon learning his name, raising him close to her face, her blue eyes like suns before him. "Would you like to come home with me?"

"No way, Rukia. I saw him first!" Orihime protested, snatching him back. "I'm getting him, and will show him to everyone."

"No one's taking me anywhere! I have a fight to finish, if you don't mind!" Grimmjow attempted to argue in vain, only making another kitten meow, his fuzzy tail swishing in anxiety.

"Hey guys, what do you have there – kitten!" Yachiru, the lieutenant of squad 11, said when she wandered over, hugging Grimmjow against her bosom so he could hardly breathe. "Forget you guys. I'm buying him and showing him to Ken-chan!" she announced. Then, Momo and Ranguku showed up as well, and Grimmjow changed hands at least a million times, with rising voices from the girls seeming to blur together in an accelerating blur as Grimmjow wished with all his might that he could escape this humiliation –

With a gasp of air, Grimmjow bolted upright, the bed covers flung aside. He grasped his face with his hands, breathing hard and sweating. What the...? Where was he now? What day was it? It took a minute for Grimmjow to realize that he held himself with his own fingers, and had no fur on his body and no tail. He lowered his hands and found himself in the bedroom of his and Halibel's rented house, with bright morning sunlight streaming in as birds chirped outside to welcome a new day.

Halibel!

Grimmjow whipped his head to the left, and found Halibel next to him as she sat up as well.

"Grimmjow?" she asked in a sleepy voice. "What's wrong? You're sweating..."

Grimmjow tried to slow his breathing down, relaxing. "It was... just a nightmare," he muttered as he realized what it was. Yes, just a nightmare. "And what day is it?"

"Today's Monday," Halibel said, and checking the bedside clock. "And it's 8:36 in the morning. Did you say you had a nightmare?"

She rested a hand on Grimmjow's shoulder, stroking his arm to comfort. Everything was back to normal and the way it should be, he thought as he felt the touch of Halibel's hand and the shock of the nightmare faded. Grimmjow shook his head and now gently pulled on Halibel's arm to lean her closer, then gave her a good-morning kiss on her cheek, the feeling of her warm skin fully bringing him back to reality.

"Feeling better?" she asked him with a smile.

"Yeah. I'm okay, I was just going to get up…" Grimmjow said, swiveling around and sliding his feet onto the floor, stretching. No one other than Halibel would have been able to ground him back into reality after the ridiculous kitten nightmare, he realized as he heard Halibel getting out of bed too. Whether something trivial like this or something important, she was always there to support him and keep him going, and he felt a rush of gratitude for her at that moment.

"Hey, I think I realized something," he said presently.

"What would that be?" Halibel asked.

"There's another reason why we're together – because we give each other support during hard times, keeping each other going. And… you do that for my unconditionally for me, and I promise I'll return the favor sometime. I'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Grimmjow."

Then, an idea popped into Halibel's head. "Why don't we do a little window shopping today?" she suggested.

"What kind of store?" Grimmjow asked. _Hopefully, something interesting._

"The pet store, to see all the kittens!"

Grimmjow nearly had a heart attack, until Halibel comforted him again, prying his hand away from his heart and wrapping an arm around his opposite shoulder. "I was only kidding!" she laughed. "Do you have to take that so seriously?"

"I think that's the 'fun' part coming back," Grimmjow wheezed, but he felt amused all the same. "But thanks, Halibel."


	3. Chapter 3 Tuesday

**Seven Reasons We're Together**

Part 3: Bored

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.

One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.

**

Day: Tuesday

The rain outside was getting very annoying, Grimmjow fumed as he sat on the living room's couch, craning his neck so he could watch the heavy gray clouds release their endless torrents of heavenly water. The plants on the front lawn had their leaves and flowers bob and twitch constantly as the water droplets struck them, and a patter persisted on the roof. In the distance, the rumble of thunder could be heard.

Now Grimmjow turned away from the window, yawning widely and nudging the coffee table with his foot to see how far he cold push it. It was too rainy to visit anyone today, and Grimmjow wasn't sure if he wanted to show up on Uryu's or Ichigo's front door totally sodden; both he and Halibel had forgotten to get any umbrellas or rain coats, so they were grounded for now. The ticking of the dining room clock suddenly felt very loud and clear; tick, tock, tick, tock...

"There you are," Halibel said once she entered the living room from the hallway, seeing her friend on the couch. "How long have you been there?"

"For a while, like several hours. Bleh," Grimmjow responded, now lying down on the couch and stretching out, flexing his toes. "Did I ever mention how I don't like human world rain? There's never any weather in Hueco Mundo, and it makes conditions much better there."

"Missing our home land?" Halibel commented, approaching as she set a book down on the table. Grimmjow adjusted and sat back up on the couch, allowing Halibel to sit on his lap, and he welcomed her warm presence after just sitting there forever. "I never thought I'd hear you miss it."

"Going to the human world is only fun for a little. Usually," Grimmjow commented. "I mean, I had fun yesterday and the day before, but today? I dunno, there's only so many times we can play go fish or Monopoly before it gets old. You sure know how to take in the cash in that game, though..."

"Well, I just make a strategy and pursue it," Halibel smiled mysteriously, turning to face Grimmjow. "I'm one of the ten generals of the Arrancar army, after all. And my fraccions all look up to me as well. I can't let them down, or anyone else. And I certainly won't let you down."

"Thanks," Grimmjow thanked her, messing with one of her two pig tails out of boredom, feeling her soft golden hair in his fingers. He turned and looked back outside the window again, with the same scene confronting him; the swarm of incoming rain drops, the sheet of clouds, the trees dripping water and droplets running down the window pane. "Man, though, it's really bleak today. Rain! Did I ever mention how I don't like it?" Another roll of thunder accompanied his words, a rumbling basso in the near distance.

Halibel couldn't help a small laugh, tapping Grimmjow's forehead. "Yes, you already said that," she teased him. "Is your mind being affected by boredom?"

"I – no! I'm as sharp as ever. Nothing ever gets the best of me, Hallie," Grimmjow sputtered, but grinned in spite of himself. Halibel always knew how to rile him up one way or another, and it must come from them spending all this time together. No one else had gotten close to him, but Halibel was someone special to him and he knew that he could be with her like this. "I just don't go for this blandness. It's like... the world is holding still."

"Holding still? I don't think that at all," Halibel commented, her emerald eyes fixed on the outside world beyond the glass. Though it was dark in this room, her expression was mildly bright.

"Well, the rain drops are moving..." Grimmjow offered, watching with her. "Thought I doubt that's what you mean. What's on your mind, Hallie?"

"Think about it. The seasons go in their cycle of cold winter, wet spring, hot summer, and crisp fall," Halibel said. "And here is the spring, bringing life and vitality to everything it touches. It's a process that goes on and on, with the flowers blooming, the trees growing taller, birds and animals drinking from ponds, all of it."

"Hmmmmmm. Natural cycle..." Grimmjow pondered, rubbing his chin. In idea struck him, and he picked up Halibel's train of thought. "Well, I guess it could be put this way: even if it seems that nothing important is happening, time goes on and the world always moves forward, sometimes needing a rest like a spring shower. Even if we don't always see it, the world is always breathing, always growing. Anything but holding still."

Halibel couldn't help a wide smile. "Why, that was very wise of you," she complimented, before she took Grimmjow's head in her hands and leaned forth, giving him a kiss. As soon as they parted, she added with a blush, "though sometimes, there are things you are very much aware of."

"Ha ha. Yeah, I agree with that," Grimmjow grinned, the pattering of the rain now sounding much more comforting, the cool dampness outside welcoming. "Thank you, Halibel, today seems much more interesting now. You know what? I've figured out a third reason we're together."

"What would that be?" Halibel asked, curious.

"It's because we spend time together, and we grow closer with every passing moment," Grimmjow told her gently. "I like you more today than I did yesterday, and I will like you even more tomorrow than I do today." He wasn't sure exactly what their relationship was just yet, but he knew that being with Halibel Tia is what he wanted more than anything else.

The rest of the rainy afternoon was just like the morning, but it was spent quite comfortably by the two Espadas in their rental house. And later, the spring rains slowed to a stop for the evening and Karakura Town's streetlights flared on, illuminating the world.


	4. Chapter 4 Wednesday

**Seven Reasons We're Together**

Part 4: Apprentice

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.

One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.

**

Day: Wednesday

"All right, we finally took care of that little problem," Grimmjow said with satisfaction, carrying the box or window blinds under his arm as he and Halibel left the hardware store of Karakura Town. "Human currency is kind of a funny thing, how they use metal coins and paper bills to exchange goodies at stores. Where did we find our money to spend, again?"

"I forget," Halibel said honestly, frowning as she thought hard about it. Then she looked nervous. "We didn't… just steal any, did we?"

"Oh, yeah, we found it leftover from the last renter of the house we're living in," Grimmjow recalled, slapping a hand to his forehead. "It's okay, we didn't break any human laws or anything. But really. I'm going to appreciate the early mornings actually being dark with this baby."

Grimmjow hefted the box of window blinds under his arm, grinning as Halibel sighed good-naturedly. "It's so no one can see into our house. The old blinds were half-gone," she reminded him as they went down the sidewalk and past the stores there. "I like the morning sun. It's a good way to start the day, really invigorating. Right?"

"Ahhhhh, sleeping in is better," Grimmjow teased her, giving her a humored sideways look.

Then, Halibel made an amused smile before turning into one of the passing stores without warning, and Grimmjow had to turn and hurry to follow her in. "Wait, what's this?" he asked.

"We've hardly done or seen anything today, since you insisted on sleeping in late," Halibel explained. "This is a tailor's shop, Grimmjow!" She sounded rather excited.

"Huh? Isn't that where humans make clothing from needles and looms and stuff?" Grimmjow asked in confusion as he scratched his head and looked around, aware of all the threads and needles and cloth samples here, as well as the clothing already made by the shop owner.

"It's not just that," Halibel prodded him. "It can be a means of expression, using your own two hands to make clothing of all different kinds. It's a human thing, I know, but fascinating. Don't you agree?"

"Well, it's interesting…" Grimmjow offered, unsure. "But the hardware store had…"

"Oh, don't be like that. You like all the sharp objects in the hardware store, but this kind of thing is what interests me," Halibel mused, looking around with bounding curiosity, past a clothing rack. She couldn't identify who that was on the other side.

"I didn't know you were into tailoring," Grimmjow commented with a friendly grin as he followed her. "Secret passion, Hallie?"

"Actually, I'm tempted to try it out today. I've always been meaning to, especially since all our Arrancar clothes are black-and-white uniforms anyway. Lord Aizen is powerful, but his wardrobe selection is – oh! I'm sorry!"

Halibel collided with the other person who emerged from the other side of the clothing rack at the exact same time as her, colliding suddenly and backing up in a hurry.

"No no, it's all right, I –" the other person started, before he realized who was there. Uryu Ishida's eyes widened as he took in Grimmjow and Halibel before him, and he almost dropped his own armful of items in surprise. "Halibel? Grimmjow? What brings you here?"

"I was going to ask the same," Halibel said honestly, greeting him. "You're one of Ichigo's friends, aren't you? What brings you here?"

Uryu grinned as his pointing finger pushed up his squarish glasses, the panes catching the light. "What am I doing here? Why, I am gathering the necessary materials to perfect my masterful artistic ability!" he exclaimed proudly. "I go here nearly every day. I just make sure Chad and Ichigo aren't around or they'd make fun of me. Or at least, Ichigo would."

"Really? You're into tailoring too?" Halibel asked excitedly. "In that case… can you teach me? I've been looking for a hobby to pursue while in the human world, you see."

"An apprentice? That's…" Uryu started in an unreadable tone before he broke into a smile. "…perfect! Follow me."

"Now, another important thing to remember is safety. These needles are small but can still poke you," Uryu warned Halibel in his house an hour later, after an incredibly long-winded start-up. His dad was out of the house right now, leaving the threesome alone. "Okay, ready to try it?"

Halibel accepted the practice cloth from Uryu, taking the needle in her hand and threading it through the cloth a few times, speeding up as she gained confidence in her activity.

"Perfect!" Uryu applauded. "Such speed and accuracy… you're a natural at this!"

"It looks like this was a really good idea, huh?" Halibel asked Grimmjow enthusiastically, turning to face him before realizing that he was working on a practice cloth too, going as fast as her. Then, Grimmjow jumped out of his seat, howling as he gripped his finger with the needle plowed into the fingertip. He tore the needle out and threw it in rage, the silver projectile accidentally aimed right at Uryu's head. The Quincy freaked out and ducked just in time, allowing the needle to hit the wall behind him.

"Are you crazy? Don't throw that!" Uryu cried, his hair frayed in alarm as he pointed at Grimmjow. "Where's your common sense?"

"I think I left it in Hueco Mundo," Grimmjow shrugged before Halibel made a sound of triumph. "I did it!" she exclaimed, and the other two turned to see her creation: a bonnet!

"Here, try it," she urged Grimmjow, trying to place it on his head. The Sexta Espada quickly backed away, his eyes wide in fear. "If I were seen wearing that by Ulquiorra or Nnoitora, I'd… I'd never live it down!" he sputtered, eyeing the pink and frilly creation before him.

"But I made it just for you," Halibel protested. "Please?"

"Give it to Orihime or Rukia or someone," Grimmjow pleaded, edging away from it with a sideways look of terror. "What is this, Little House on the Prairie?!"

"Well… okay," Halibel relented with a smile, tossing it over to Uryu who caught it. "Make use of it, all right?"

"I think a certain mod-soul will appreciate this," Uryu muttered with glee, pushing up his glasses again as he pocketed the bonnet.

"Okay, Grimmjow, try to make something while I make another item!" Halibel urged him, picking up some new cloth. "You can do it."

"As long as I don't have to wear it," Grimmjow commented, grabbing a handful of random cloth scraps. Uryu set to work as well, his needle and thread flying about with blinding speed and grace, making it look like Uryu had ten arms going at once. "Learn from the master!" he exclaimed, grinning again.

"I won't lose just yet!" Halibel retorted, her own thread and needle whirring at top speed. After a frantic minute, everybody was done. Halibel held up the scarf she made, with various colors melding perfectly along its length to make it a work of stunning beauty.

"How's that?" Halibel challenged Uryu.

"Not bad. But my training has allowed me to make clothing far greater!" Uryu announced, before whipping out an entire Quincy uniform, decked out in tie-dye patterns without even using tie-dye. Incredible skill had gone into that piece! Halibel hoped that Grimmjow had made something even better to give the Arrancars a lead over the Quincy.

"What did you make, Grimmjow?" Halibel asked him apprehensively, then Grimmjow had a look of fierce pride cross his feline face as he revealed his own creation.

"I call it – random cloth!" he announced, holding up the ragged patchwork of cloth scraps that he made, a bunch of random pieces of different colors crudely stitched together, hardly a foot square in size. "And I only poked myself ten times making it! I win!"

Uryu freaked out again. "Do you think this is a joke?! Do you not take my craft seriously, Arrancar?" he raged, resisting the urge to whip out his bow.

"Wanna bet, Quincy boy?" Grimmjow challenged him, leaping to his feet as he placed a hand on his sword's handle. One poke on the arm with a needle as all Halibel needed to make her friend settle down again.

"I'm getting scared of needles!" Grimmjow cried. "Much craftier than a sword and harder to block. I wonder why there aren't more needle-user fighters around…"

"Grimmjow…" Halibel started, as Uryu settled down again.

"Huh?" he asked, turning to face her again before she slipped the scarf onto his neck, and he marveled at the warmth and comforting softness of her creation. His eyes widened.

"This feels really nice," he commented, fiddling with one end with his hands, careful not to pull the yarns apart.

"And I made it just for you," Halibel told him sweetly, leaning forth and placing a hand on his shoulder before kissing him on the cheek. "So enjoy it for me, okay?"

"I gotcha," he smiled. "Thanks, Hallie."

"I'm telling you, those needles really did hurt," Grimmjow said again as he and Halibel walked down the evening sidewalk back to their rental house, the air surprisingly chilly as a gust blew past the trees and streetlamps. "Not that I'm complaining…"

"Nonsense. You had a good time, too," Halibel reminded him, hugging his arm. "Didn't you?"

"Well, I did make this," Grimmjow said proudly, holding up his random-cloth contraption. "You should have seen the look on the Quincy boy's face when he saw it! Success!"

"That was a look of horror, not envy," Halibel pointed out.

"B-but I worked hard on it!" Grimmjow sputtered. "A masterpiece brought to you by the Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, who –"

"May I have it?" Halibel asked.

"My cloth masterpiece? I was only joking anyway, it's not good at all, I was just trying to compete…" Grimmjow hesitated, but then decided differently and handed it to her. "Here you go. From the heart."

"Thank you, Grimmjow," Halibel said gently, feeling the random cloth texture against her cheek. "I'll be keeping this, okay?"

"Well, I guess it could double as a tiny quilt," Grimmjow jested, but knew that he had made Halibel happy today, as he carried the blinds under his other arm, glad he didn't forget them –money didn't grow on trees, as the humans always said. But then again, other things _could _grow and flourish, and this thought struck him all at once today.

"Okay, this is the fourth reason we're together," he said, voicing his thoughts.

"Oh, yeah?" Halibel asked. "What is it?"

"It must be creativity. Every day, we can come up with new ways to express ourselves to each other," Grimmjow mused as they neared their home, the sun finally settling behind the horizon. Moths fluttered about the streetlamps, attracted to their light. "Does that sound about right?"

"Yes, it does," Halibel nodded as she unlocked the front door. "I'm impressed, Grimmjow. You've really been showing a new side to yourself these past few days, especially today."

"Same about you," Grimmjow added. "I didn't know you were so good a tailoring."

"That bonnet is still available, and I can get it back from Uryu if you want…" Halibel teased, before Grimmjow yelped and dove under the table to hide. "I don't want it!" he cried.

"I'm only teasing you, Grimmjow!" Halibel laughed, going up the stairs to the upper floor, before yawning. "Whew, I'm more tired than I realized. Are you going to retire for the night, too?"  
"Yeah, I'll be right up," Grimmjow said, emerging from under the table. "As long as you don't slip some weird frilly thing one me while I'm asleep."

"Darn, you got me."

"You were going to?!"

"I'm teasing you again, silly!" Halibel laughed again. "Aren't you ever going to see past my jokes?"

"Maybe one of these days," Grimmjow thought out loud as he joined her up the stairs for the night, turning on the hallway light.


	5. Chapter 5 Thursday

**Seven Reasons We're Together**

Part 5: Patience

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.

One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.

Day: Thursday

"We can't go until this afternoon? Are you for real?" Grimmjow was quite agitated as he sat up straight in the armchair in the living room of his and Halibel's rented house.

Halibel only shook her head, turning back to face him from the doorway to the front hall. Sunlight streamed through the front door's windows into the hall. "Ichigo can't just spar with you whenever you want, Grimmjow," she reminded him gently, waving a finger. "He's out right now, I already called his household for you, remember?"

"Oh yeah, because I'm too lazy to touch that 'phone' thing humans use..." Grimmjow grinned, putting his feet on the table.

"In short, you can't just go running off to do what you like. We have to be more civil here," Halibel told Grimmjow, walking over to him and taking his hand in hers to calm him down as he started to look upset. "We have plenty of other things to do today. You'll get a chance to stretch your legs."

"Uh-huh?" Grimmjow asked with raised eyebrows, and ten minutes later he found himself in the park of Karakura town, a place of nature and relaxation. Birds chirped their songs in the trees the inhabitants of the town milled about, enjoying the calm summer day. Everyone except one blue-haired Arrancar.

"_Here? _This is... this is..." Grimmjow sputtered as he walked by Halibel's side down the path, gesturing and clawing in the air with his hands. Halibel only smiled and held a giggle behind her hand at her companion's behavior. Grimmjow bugged his eyes out, baring his teeth. "This is... _boring! _Raaaagh! I said it out loud!"

"Calm down, Grimmjow! Something's eating you today," Halibel comforted him, wrapping her arms around him as they meandered along. She rested her head on his shoulder, looking up at him. "What is it?"

Grimmjow thought about it, scratching his head and looking up in wonder. "I think... I wanna fight? That being in Hueco Mundo is way more fun? You and I both can show up those wandering Adjuchas any day. Like a tag team..."

Halibel grinned and shook her head, letting him go. "Not a tag team," she said, finding a row of bright blue and green flowers by the path, kneeling by them "Look at these! They're beautiful. Do you know what they are?"

"Um, flowers?"

"Grimmjow!"

The Sexta Espada fidgeted in place. "But I don't know what they are!" he cried. "Hey, I never even saw real plant life in Hueco Mundo. Have you?"

"None," Halibel answered frankly. "It's something that made me sad! Our home never had any real beauty, just the endless white dunes and crystal trees."

_And lots of game, too, _Grimmjow added with a grin, but he saw what Halibel was getting at, and as he watched her admire the blue and green flowers, he felt himself calm down, appreciating her soothing and familiar presence. Then, he immediately got the old itch back.

"Hey, Hallie. I'm gonna... ah, explore the park for a while, okay?" he said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder.

"Certainly! I love the outdoors," Halibel agreed, standing up and joining him, wrapping her arm around his, expecting him to take lead.

_But I wanted to run around like a wild – _Grimmjow thought before he relented. _Heck with it, I'm being selfish! Hallie's my dear friend. Let me see, explore the park... explore the park... hey, does that tree have apples on it? Ripe ones?_

"An apple tree! A wonderful symbol of life, in my opinion," Halibel glowed, approaching the massive tree with its thousands of plump red fruit. "A single being bearing a thousand small children, all preparing to start a life of their own. Don't you think so too?"

Grimmjow stared up at the apple fruits, wondering how many he could chop down with a single blade stroke before he shook his head, seeing how happy Halibel looked. She enjoyed the quieter, simpler things in life while a raging bloodbath was his idea of a day well spent. He had to find middle ground...

Thunk!

Grimmjow whipped his head to the side to see that archer boy, Uryu, taking aim and shoot down another apple with his bow and arrow, the fruit falling to the grass.

"Hey! Practicing your archery, huh?" Grimmjow asked Uryu excitedly, hurrying over to him.

Uryu lowered his bow. "Why, yes," he said, pushing up his glasses. "I'm 40 for 40 so far! My aim is as impeccably sharp as ever. Observe."

Grimmjow and Halibel watched as Uryu drew back another arrow, taking aim for another apple. Getting a sudden bright idea, Grimmjow pushed Uryu as he was about to fire, throwing the Quincy's aim way off; the arrow arced through empty air and fizzled into the ground.

"You! That was going to be a perfect shot!" Uryu raged, rounding on Grimmjow. With a wide grin, Grimmjow danced back and forth in place. "Whatcha gonna go, huh? Huh? Gonna shoot me, archer boy?" he taunted.

Uryu ground his teeth. "Just hold still so I can put one through you!" he shouted, drawing his bow back. His first arrow as dodged, then he drew back a second round: the 1,200 arrows at once! Way too much to dodge!

"Nooooo! Hallie, save me!" Grimmjow yelped like a kitten, tearing across the park as the angry Uryu chased him, firing the 1,200 arrows every which way and blasting the place apart. Halibel stood in place, staring as he friend ran around like a fool. _Grimmjow... please._

"If only I had my powers! If only!" Grimmjow added to himself, splashing through the creek and getting his jeans soaked. This slowed down Uryu, who stumbled to take aim again and gave Grimmjow the chance to hide behind a tree.

"I'll forgive you if you just say sorry!" Uryu called after him, though still irked. "This is a park, after all."

Grimmjow poked out from behind the tree. "Fine, sorry, buddy," he said with a grin. "I just itched for a good fight."

Then, Halibel was right there, dragging Grimmjow away by the ear.

"Try to contain yourself, okay?" Halibel hissed at him, incensed.

"Yes, Halibel," Grimmjow said meekly. He accompanied her with his best behavior, finding himself to relax in her presence again, apologizing to her over and over.

"It's okay, Grimmie," Halibel said gently, shaking his shoulder playfully. "I promise you can spar Ichigo Kurosaki when he's back home, okay? I thought we'd have a little bonding time right now."

Grimmjow grinned and nodded. "Yeah."

That didn't last long, because five minutes later Ichigo and Rukia were passing by, waving hello.

"Oh, it's you, Grimmjow," Ichigo noticed the Arrancar warily. "Hi, Halibel!"

"Nice to see you two here as well," Halibel said brightly in return.

"Yeah, Rukia insisted that we stop by here before going back to my house," Ichigo explained. "I don't blame her. We've been running up and down Karakura town forever tryin' to get stuff done for Mr. Hat and Clogs. We don't even work for him and he cracks the whip on us anyway! He's got Jinta to help..."

"Raaaaah! We do battle now!" Grimmjow yowled in joy, pouncing after the deputy Soul Reaper with his fingers like claws. "Defend yourself!"

"Wha –? Hey! Give me a break!" Ichigo protested in irritation before Grimmjow pounced on him, and they vanished in a flurry of fists and kicks.

"Ichigo!" Rukia warned her friend, but he wouldn't listen. "Grimmjow!" Halibel snapped, but it was no good. Rukia exited her body to encase the warriors in ice with her Shikai but was too slow, as they both got up and began chasing each other around the park, all scratched up. "Get back here, Ichigo! We're not done yet!" Grimmjow howled, giving chase.

"You're crazy, man!" Ichigo called over his shoulder, scrambling up a tree. Halibel and Rukia watched from nearby as Grimmjow clamored up the tree after him, and then Ichigo jumped back down. Grimmjow chased him, but not before he upset a beehive there, stirring up thousands of the insects.

"Now you've done it, you big jerk!" Ichigo shouted as he swatted away the swarming bees, desperate to escape them and his Arrancar pursuer. The problem was, Grimmjow too was in trouble with the bees, having aroused their wrath by bumping into their hive. He gave up chasing Ichigo and fled the enraged insects instead, running in circles like Ichigo was.

"1,200 arrows!" Uryu shouted, and every bee was struck down, leaving both Ichigo and Grimmjow free. They collapsed, weakened from hundreds of bee stings that resulted in itchy red bumps on their skin.

"Grimmjow!" Halibel cried, supporting her weakened friend, kneeling on the grass to support his limp body as he stared blankly.

He blinked. "Hi, Halibel," he said weakly, turning to look at her. "I've really upset the beehive today, huh?"

Halibel closed her eyes, then bonked Grimmjow unconscious for the bad pun and dragged him out of the park, wishing Uryu, Ichigo, and Rukia all the best as she went.

*o*o*o*o*

"Grimmjow, how could you be so careless? Starting fights and getting stung by bees!" Halibel admonished her friend later that evening, as he lay on the bed shirtless and she applied ice packs to the stings and cream to reduce the swelling. She shook her head.

Grimmjow felt diminished, covering his face with his hands. "Arrrrrrrgh. Look at me. I feel like a total idiot," he groaned, then winced from aggravating the bee stings.

"Well, you did get impatient and worked up..." Halibel suggested, applying ice to more stings. The analog clock of the room ticked on the wall as sunset light shone through the curtains of the window.

"Forget it. I'm staying here until the Gargantas open again," Grimmjow mumbled. "I've cause you enough trouble."

"Don't say that," Halibel said quietly into his ear. "It's okay. We'll find something fun to do tomorrow, okay? Just don't upset any bees."

Grimmjow's eyes widened. "R...really? But I can't even control myself!"

"That'll take time to deal wit. It's just your nature," Halibel reasoned with him. "It'll take patience."

"As long as I don't ruin your day plans anymore," Grimmjow grinned. "I'm sorry, Hallie. I'll do better from now on. I promise." He reached out a hand and clasped hers to show his sincerity, wordlessly asking her to come closer.

"I know you'll do better," Hallie smiled, leaning closer and running her other hand down Grimmjow's shoulder; he enjoyed the soft, cool touch of her hand. "I'll always be there for you!"

"So, that makes five," Grimmjow noted.

"The reasons?" Halibel asked.

Grimmjow nodded, suddenly finding the bed to feel much softer and comforting. Not as comforting as seeing Halibel's smile, though. "The fifth reason we're together, Halibel: we have patience for each other. You give me a second chance, and I'm grateful for that, I really am. And I'll work on being... well, _civil _when it counts. For your sake."

Halibel smiled and kissed his cheek. "I have all the patience in the world for that."


	6. Chapter 6 Friday

**Seven Reasons We're Together**

Part 6: Friendship

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.

One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.

Day: Friday

"Ugh. Why can't there ever be anything good on TV?" Ichigo Kurosaki complained as he slouched on the couch, repeatedly pressing the buttons on his TV remote to flick through the channels in hopes of finding an entertaining program. One channel after another rushed past, from cooking shows to nature documentaries and even a ghost-hunter program. Ichigo stopped at that one, his eyes widening in interest.

"Hey. Do you think this show will have Don Kanonji in it? Eh?" Ichigo asked while pointing at the TV, turning to Rukia who was seated next to him. She shook her head while trying to suppress a smile.

"No, Ichigo. Don is on hiatus, remember? After the massive fangirl attack he endured last week? And sit up. You're ruining your spine."

"Yes, mom," Ichigo joked, scooting back upright in the couch, leaning against his girlfriend and yawning widely. "Bleh!" he complained again. "Look at that. I'm bored out of my mind again."

That was as good as "come fight me!" to the ears of Grimmjow Jaegarjaques, who was seated on Rukia's other side. He perked up, his ears twitching and his hand compulsively reaching for his Zanpakuto, Pantera. "I've got an idea! Fight me right now, Ichigo! We'll pass the whole evening!"

"Sorry. This is a no-fighting zone, remember?" Halibel reminded Grimmjow patiently, placing a hand on his to keep his Zanpakuto in its sheath. Like Rukia, she couldn't resist a smile to her companion. "You did enough bashing and running around yesterday."

"Don't even get me started," Grimmjow pleaded as a joke, recalling the deadly bee attack that he and Ichigo had endured. It was worth it, though, because parks made for excellent places to spar with Quincies and Soul Reapers! Yesterday's brawls had been excellent.

It was Friday evening, and Halibel and Grimmjow would be returning to Hueco Mundo before long. The Garganta rift would repair itself at midnight on Saturday night, the time-border between Saturday and Sunday. The two Espadas had decided to chill at Ichigo's house, and would be alone at their own rental house in early Saturday night… an evening for just the two of them. Presently, however, they were in the company of good friends.

"Uryu sent you guys a message, you know," Rukia said suddenly, addressing both Ichigo and Grimmjow. She turned off the TV.

"Huh?" Grimmjow asked, perking up again. _Rematch! Say it's a rematch challenge!_

"He says that the next time he wants to be chased around by a bunch of crazed animals, he'll go to the zoo and unlock all the holding pens," Rukia laughed.

"I'm nothing like that! I'm civilized!" Ichigo protested hotly as Rukia laughed again. "That lion at the zoo has no manners compared to me…"

"I'm not an animal, blast it! Mreeeooowwwr!" Grimmjow also argued, standing up for emphasis and flexing his fingers like claws. He wound up making a cat-growl at the end of his sentence by habit, however, and everyone burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to get you a ball of yarn to keep you happy at our house, okay?" Halibel teased Grimmjow, riling him up further. He gestured. "Yarn? Playing with? I want a battle! House visits aren't my thing!"

In response, Halibel fished something out of her pocket: an actual ball of yarn that she tossed in Grimmjow's face. The orb of stringy goodness seemed to float through the air in slow motion to Grimmjow's eyes, and he lashed out with his paws and caught the ball. The ball of yarn slipped out of his hands, however, and it bounced to the floor and started to roll away, leaving a trail of yarn behind it. Grimmjow pounced on the floor after it, trying to catch the runaway ball. Everyone laughed again as he squirmed about, baring his teeth in primordial glee as he attacked the ball, and wound up sending it toward Ichigo. "Take this!" he shouted. It was almost like he was on catnip!

"Yah!" Ichigo shouted, swinging his open hand. He tried to hit the ball back at Grimmjow, but he missed and the ball hit Halibel instead.

"Mine!" Grimmjow cried, leaping after Halibel and reaching for the ball of yarn. Halibel held it up high, teasing him again. "Come and get it! Fight for it!" she encouraged him, and Grimmjow reached higher but still couldn't reach it. He started to slink away in disappointment until Halibel lowered it again, on the condition that he had to fight her for it. They went back and forth, but Rukia saw that they were enjoying themselves, almost as though this were an everyday thing for them.

"Arrrrrgh. This too weird! I'm going up to my room to… um… do urgent things," Ichigo excused himself, making a mad dash for the stairs to the upper level. Karin had been going down the stairs, and turned to give a funny look to her brother dashing upstairs, and then she gave an even funnier look to the Espadas in the living room.

"I swear, the people Ichigo brings here…" Karin muttered, wandering away. Meanwhile, Grimmjow had exhausted themselves, both resting on the couch and supporting each other in their fatigue. Rukia stood up, clasping her hands behind her back as she smiled and regarded her two friends.

"I can see why you both are together. Clear as day," Rukia announced, now placing her hands on her hips.

"Is this another one?" Grimmjow asked weakly, his mind still buzzing from the excitement. _I wanna fight Ichigo! I want that ball of yarn, too! But… I want to go home with Halibel, too. A little alone time._

"Number six," Halibel said, and Rukia raised her eyebrows.

"Grimmjow and I have been realizing the reasons why we're both together," Halibel told Rukia, patting Grimmjow's head. He made a little "mreowr" noise. "And now we figured out today's reason."

"I don't see it," Grimmjow said in confusion. "Is it the love of yarn?"

"No, silly! I'm not fond of yarn. All that was just to play with you," Halibel corrected him.

"I can tell what it is: friendship," Rukia decided, clapping her hands together. "Only great friends could get along the way you guys do! Uh-huh."

"I think she's got a point," Grimmjow had to admit. "Hallie, we _are _good friends, right? I mean, I don't keep a lot of company and I don't really know how friendship works…"

"Well, this is a good example. Friends are people just like us," Halibel told him gently. "Like Ichigo and Rukia, too. We're more like them than it would seem at first."

"Ichigo and I love to fight," Grimmjow grinned wildly, "but yeah. You're my dear friend, Halibel. Am I your friend, too?"

Halibel ran a hand through Grimmjow's sky-blue hair. "Of course, dear."


	7. Chapter 7 Saturday

**Seven Reasons We're Together**

Part 7: Love

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.

One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.

Day: Saturday

Halibel figured that Grimmjow was either comfortable with nighttime as a result of living in Hueco Mundo, or he was eager to depart Karakura Town. Maybe it was some of both? Karakura nights were certainly more noisy than Hueco Mundo ones, because here, Halibel had often heard dogs barking, police sirens, and random shouts during the dark hours. Grimmjow had covered his head with his pillow and cursed all the noisemakers to hell, irritable at being kept up. Halibel had found that very funny.

"There seem to be more stars out tonight. Or maybe I'm just imagining it," Grimmjow said at length, uncomfortable with the silence. "And a big moon out, too."

"Tonight's a pretty clear night, yes. Last night was rather cloudy," Halibel agreed lightly, but she knew that this wasn't what was on her friend's mind. "But we had a good time with all our new Karakura friends, now didn't we?"

"Ha," Grimmjow huffed with a defiant, toothy smile. "They provide fresh game. Especially that Quincy. I've never fought one before."

"Yes, this town is great for its sparring services," Halibel joked, nudging Grimmjow's arm. "But really, what did you think of our time here? It's nearly up." She checked her watch, and it read 11:58 PM. In two minutes, it would be 12:00 AM on Sunday, meaning that the Garganta would become available once again.

Grimmjow shrugged, looking straight ahead. "Well, there was the sparring…"

Halibel couldn't help a laugh, wrapping her arms around Grimmjow's left arm. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Well, _I _found great value in everyone's companionship. Everyone here is very nice, and I'm sad to say goodbye to them. But I still had a good time, most of all with you."

Grimmjow nodded and smiled, understanding. He reached around with his other arm and ran his hand through Halibel's bright yellow hair. "It made for a wild week for me, too," he added, compromising between his ferocious nature and Halibel's gentler nature. "There's always something going on around here. But, duty calls. Lord Aizen will want us back as soon as possible. But… this was a great vacation. I feel the same way: being with you was the best part of our stay. I think we learned a lot about ourselves and each other."

"That we did," Halibel agreed, squeezing his arm tighter for a second. "Why, we learned one each day, if I recall. We went to that carnival on the first day…"

"And you helped me recover from that ridiculous kitten nightmare the second day," Grimmjow added.

"And we simply relaxed in the house during the rainy third day…"

"And tried out needlework on the fourth day. Ouch…"

"Then we learned patience after going to the park on the fifth day…"

"And then, we spent time with friends on the sixth day," Grimmjow finished. "Today, it's just a walk through the dark neighborhood until we're out of town to set up the Garganta. No seventh reason, I guess. Just goodbye."

As Grimmjow spoke, the two Espadas exited Karakura Town, passing by its outer limit and into the wilderness. They stood on the paved street, and could still hear the nighttime sounds of the town behind them.

Halibel checked her watch: 12:03 AM, Sunday. A week had passed, and now it was time. She raised her arm and made the motions to create a Garganta, and to both Espadas' relief, the supernatural portal opened at once like a set of jaws. A twisting, aether-like world lay beyond, the gateway to Hueco Mundo. Halibel had one more thing to add.

"In fact, there _is _a seventh reason we're together. I realized it just now," Halibel told Grimmjow, sounding enthusiastic.

Grimmjow stopped, having almost stepped foot into the Garganta. He turned back to face Halibel. "Huh? What is it?" he asked. The third Espada raised six fingers and recited, "Fun. Comfort. Time. Creativity. Patience. Friendship. Between you and me."

"You know it," Grimmjow grinned, starting to see where this was going. _It's time for us to say it, isn't it? Hallie. _He stepped away from the Garganta and toward Halibel, heart racing.

"With all that in mind, and the fact that we're alone…" Halibel started, suddenly bashful. "Um…"

Seeing his chance, Grimmjow went first. "I've got our seventh reason," he volunteered. "I'm with you because I love you, Halibel." _There! __Let her know how much she means to me. _Grimmjow felt like a million bucks, but the scene wasn't over yet.

"Aren't you bold?" she smiled while blushing, then proved herself even more bold. She took a step forward and took Grimmjow's head in her hands, then planted a big one right on his lips. They embraced for a few seconds, then when the parted Halibel finished, "And I'm with you because I love you too, Grimmjow. Perfect ending for the week, huh?"

_Yee-haw! _was Grimmjow's first thought, but he said instead, "Absolutely. Thank you for this week, Hallie. Care to return to our home? After you."

Being a gentleman for the first time in forever, Grimmjow extended his hand and Halibel took it. He lifted her slightly up into the Garganta, and she stepped right through it and out of sight. Grimmjow followed a second later, and the Garganta closed behind him, leaving the slumbering Karakura Town behind.

*o*o*o*o*

**A/N: **Well, that's it. The cat's out of the bag (ha!) and now we hear the confessions at last. Thanks for reading this whole story, reader, because the tale is done. I would like to thank **rainy-lullaby**,** Mouse 2552**,** Shiaori**,** missjeanz**,** and fanficssuck **for their kind and encouraging reviews. You guys helped motivate me to see this thing to its conclusion.


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